Summertime Sadness
Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) is a subset of depression characterized by depressive symptoms linked to seasonal changes. Generally, when we think of seasonal depression we think of winter, but I actually see a lot of summer seasonal affective disorder here in Southwest Colorado. Summer SAD is characterized by irritability, lack of motivation, low energy, guilt, and an increase in negative self-talk, and seems to be related to the repetitively hot, dry, windy days that dominate the southwestern summer.